The writer, essayist, and former Minister of Culture of the Caribbean nation stated that “the survival of the Cuban people today is truly a monumental struggle,” and described the current period as “the most difficult moment for the Revolution.”

  “We are living in stormy times. The word ‘blockade’ falls short; it no longer suffices to explain what is being done to us,” he said, citing data on the current situation in his country—such as the infant mortality rate, which has doubled from 4.4 to 9.9 per 1,000 live births.

  “These are statistics, but they are figures that bear the faces of real people—families, children, and the sick,” he emphasized.

  He further explained that 7,000 shipping containers filled with medical supplies remain stranded across the Caribbean because shipping companies fear reprisals from the United States; meanwhile, 34 banks have severed financial ties with Cuba, and public transportation has effectively ceased to exist.

  Prieto took part in the presentation of the book *Caliban*—an essay originally published in 1971 by Roberto Fernandez Retamar and now reprinted by the Institute for Political Training of Mexico’s ruling party, Morena, in collaboration with Casa de las Americas. The text remains highly relevant today in the face of racism and the far-right.

  During the event, students and faculty issued a statement in solidarity with Cuba, demanding an end to the energy blockade and calling on the Mexican government to reconsider its decision to suspend oil shipments to the island, the media outlet reported.

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